BMW 7-Series Australian first drive review

It's not enough for top-end luxury cars to feature comfy seats, a quiet and powerful motor and opulent cabin. Not by half.

Instead, cars such as the BMW 7-Series have become technical crusaders for their respective brands, forging ahead with features that will eventually change the way the millions of motorists drive.

The sixth generation of BMW's flagship limousine features several world firsts, and it all starts with the key.

Officially known as the "BMW Display Key", the sizeable lozenge features a small touchscreen that allows drivers to pre-set climate functions, check their car's fuel level or whether the machine is locked. It sounds gimmicky until you see the gadget's party trick – a remote parking setup that allows drivers to step out of the vehicle and guide it into a garage with a few strokes of the keyfob. Australian authorities aren't sure what to make of the system, so BMW hasn't activated it for local use, but they say it will be approved for Australian owners soon.

The car's other party trick is its new gesture control system that allows drivers to negotiate with its infotainment system without touching anything or using their voice. Want to dismiss an incoming call? Swat it away with a sweep of the wrist. Keen to adjust the volume? Draw little circles with a finger in the air – clockwise to turn it up, and vice versa for down. It's also possible to pair individual gestures with specific functions, though you can't activate the car's horn by flipping the bird to fellow motorists. That's probably a good thing.

Drivers can use clever gestures to interact with the car's infotainment system. Photo: Mark Bean

While it sounds – and feels – like a bit of a gimmick, the development is important as it changes the way we engage with cars. Expect to see more of it.

More practical are new parking cameras at the front and rear that swivel with steering wheel input. Tight parking manoeuvres are a breeze thanks to an image that pans to show where you're steering the car, going beyond moving guidelines that have proved handy for thousands of buyers across the country.

Reflecting its status as a model in which many owners are more likely to be back-seat passengers than drivers, the top-end BMW now features a nifty touchscreen in the rear centre armrest. About the size of an iPad mini, the gadget allows passengers to adjust climate control and infotainment settings, move front seats or even browse the web.

Technology is key to the 7-Series' appeal. Photo: Mark Bean

But one of the more significant changes in the new model is a carbon fibre-reinforced chassis that blends the high-tech material with aluminium and alloys to make the new model lighter, stiffer and safer. It weighs in under 1.7 tonnes – well less than Audi's aluminium-bodied A8 – an excellent achievement for a car of this size.

There are other changes that separate the model from its predecessor – standard fitment of stuff like a 16-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, sharpened driver aids including lane keeping assistance, heated front armrests, passenger doors and steering wheel, more – and better – leather throughout the cabin as well as the brand's popular M-sport package, available as a no-cost option.

Priced from $224,200 plus on-road costs, the 740i tested here is the entry-level petrol offering, though you could never describe it as an entry-level car.

It is loaded with adaptive LED headlamps (dearer models get laser units), a full suite of driver aids including autonomous emergency braking and traffic jam assistance, a heads-up display, 360-degree camera and more.

The 7-Series is offered in standard and long wheelbase forms that offer slightly different takes on the luxury theme. Pick the standard model if you want to drive the best BMW has to offer, or opt for the slightly stretched version if you want to be driven.

Those who fall into the latter camp should consider the top-line 750Li model for $312,700 that features a panoramic sunroof, rear infotainment screens and electric reclining seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions. The standard wheelbase model has adequate rear seat room, but not the sprawling expanse of the 740iL and 750iL.

Inside the 2015 BMW 740i. Photo: Mark Bean

Whichever way you go, the 7-Series offers a beautifully appointed cabin. It's a fusion of features where traditional elements such as plush chairs, soft Nappa leather and rich woodgrain marry a first-class technical suite.

Though it's electronics and structure are quite innovative, the 7-Series' engine choices are standard fare.

The 730d offers a regular 3.0-litre turbo diesel motor that makes 195kW and 620Nm, using an impressive 4.9L/100km to do so.

Our mid-range 740i features a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with 240kW and 450Nm, enough to reach 100km/h in 5.5 seconds while using 7.0L/100km of fuel.

2015 BMW 740i Photo: Mark Bean

At the top of the range, the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 of the 750i produces an ample 330kW and 650Nm, reducing the acceleration benchmark to 4.7 seconds.

Smooth and sonorous, the 740i provides more than adequate motivation for the car, responding nicely to driver inputs while singing BMW's classic six-cylinder song somewhere in the distance.

The engine is tractable and willing, matched finely to an expertly calibrated eight-speed automatic transmission that is never wrong-footed. There are adjustable driving modes for regular, green or sporty driving, and the limousine even has shift paddles – though we can't imagine many potential pilots paddling down to second gear while trying to nail an apex. It's just not that sort of car.

Instead, the 7-Series is at its best when wafting along, isolated from the normal buzz of traffic. We took it on a favourite loop through the NSW countryside, where its supple air suspension and sumptuous interior ably shielded us from fairly rough roads.

The air suspension is truly impressive, and on par with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class for general ride quality, though it misses out on that car's ability to read bumps in the road and act accordingly.

This sedan drives like a big car, with a heft to its steering and authority to its movement that you expect from something this size. While describing it as agile is a step too far, the big unit points nicely, responding well to driver input.

That's refreshing to see, as some of BMW's recent efforts have been dynamic disappointments.

Though emerging elements of its technology could use refinement – we found the active lane keeping system struggled to work properly on weary country roads – it is a fine example of what's possible in motoring today, offering much more than comfy seats and a powerful motor.